Kingston Frontenac Public Library

Kingston Frontenac Public Library

Location	130 Johnson Street Kingston, Ontario K7L 1X8
Type	Public Library system in Kingston Frontenac
Established	1895
Branches	16
Collection
Items collected	business directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history,
Other information
Website	Kingston Frontenac Public Library

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) was established in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Kingston Public Library (which began as a 19th-century Mechanics Institute) and the Frontenac County Library, creating a 17-branch system. The KFPL serves the city of Kingston and Frontenac County in Ontario, Canada. The library regularly welcomes visitors from outside of this region.^[1]^[2] The KFPL has a board made up of appointees and representatives from Kingston City Council and Frontenac County Council. The board operates using the Carver Model.

Services

Information and reference services
Access to full text databases
Community information
Internet access
Reader's advisory services
Programs for children, youth and adults
Delivery to homebound individuals
Interlibrary loan
Free downloadable audiobooks and e-books

History

It was one of a series of Mechanics' Institutes that were set up around the world after becoming popular in Britain. It housed a subscription library that allowed members who paid a fee to borrow books. The Mechanics' Institutes libraries eventually became public libraries when the establishment of free libraries occurred.^[3] The Mechanics Institute in Kingston was founded in 1834; in 1895, the Kingston Public Library was established, making it one of the first public libraries in Canada.

Branches

There are five branches within the city of Kingston and eleven branches throughout Frontenac County. The library branches include:

Arden
Calvin Park
Central (main branch)
Cloyne
Hartington
Howe Island
Isabel Turner
Mountain Grove
Parham
Pittsburgh
Plevna
Rideau Heights
Sharbot Lake
Storrington
Sydenham
Wolfe Island

References

^ Kingston Frontenac Public Library. (n.d.). Kingston Frontenac Public Library. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www.kfpl.ca/index_html
^ County of Frontenac. (n.d.). County of Frontenac. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www.frontenaccounty.ca/
^ Harris, Michael. History Of Libraries In The Western World. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995, p. 153.